EVANSVILLE, Ind. – New head coach Bailey Dillender and the University of Evansville softball team open the 2026 season this weekend at the Heart of Georgia Classic. The Purple Aces face host Mercer and Maine in two games while taking on North Carolina A&T in a single contest.
 

Evansville at Heart of Georgia Classic
Game One	UE vs. Maine | Friday, Feb. 6 | 9:00 a.m. CST | Live Stats
Game Two	UE at Mercer | Friday, Feb. 6 | 2:00 p.m. CST | Live Stats
Game Three	UE vs. North Carolina A&T | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 9:00 a.m. CST | Live Stats
Game Four	UE at Mercer | Saturday, Feb. 7 | 2:00 p.m. CST | Live Stats
Game Five	UE vs. Maine | Sunday, Feb. 8 | 9:00 a.m. CST | Live Stats
UE Softball	Softball Home Page | Twitter

 
Evansville has a strong returning group that includes 16 players from last season while the program added eight newcomers to comprise the 2026 squad. Infielder Niki Bode is the top returning hitter from 2025. She completed the season batting .329 with 24 RBI and 27 runs scored.
 
Seniors Taylor Howe, Morgan Adams, and Jess Willsey bring a wealth of experience to the squad. Most impressive is the face that the trio each started all 54 games last season. Howe and Adams hit .277. Howe finished second ono the team scoring 33 runs while Adams was depended on for her power. Adams paced the team with 14 home runs, 38 RBI, and 42 walks. Willsey scored a team-high 39 runs last year while leading the way with 14 doubles.
 
Eliza Piggott enjoyed a strong freshman campaign. In 37 games, she batted .307 while drawing 17 walks. Despite limited at-bats, Piggott accumulated eight home runs and 33 RBI, both second on the team. Keghan Pye and Miriah Powell wrapped up the 2025 campaign batting .250 and .242, respectively. Pye saw action in 37 games and was extremely dependable on the basepaths. She finished with a team-high 13 stolen bases in 14 attempts.
 
The three most dependable pitchers from 2025 are back this season. Grace Hollingsworth led the team with a 3.81 ERA and eight victories. She tossed six complete games and walked just 27 batters in over 106 innings of work. As a freshman, Kate Ridgway won six games and recorded. 85 strikeouts. Ridgway racked up a team-high eight complete games and 123 innings pitched. Elle Jarrett won four games in her junior campaign. She appeared in 22 games while making seven starts. Jarrett threw a pair of complete games.
 
Newcomers set for their first season with the UE program include sophomore outfielder Emma McDonald, freshman utility Ashtyn Holbrook, freshman pitcher/1B Sophia Otten, junior pitcher Alexis Tucker, sophomore outfielder/1B Maliyah Wilkins, freshman 3B Angela Valentine, and freshman utility Addyson Leonaard.
 
Coach Dillender, Associate Head Coach Alyssa Richards, and Assistant Coach Mia Aldridge embark on their first season heading the Purple Aces program. The trio came to UE from the University of the Cumberlands where they led one of the top programs at the NAIA level. They directed the Patriots to NAIA World Series appearances in each of the last three seasons. Over that time, their team went 138-23 overall and 62-1 in Mid-South Conference games.
 
UE will face a strong challenge this weekend highlighted by reigning Big South Tournament Champion Mercer. The Bears won 40 games last season while advancing to the finals at the Gainesville NCAA Regional.